There comes a moment on every path when what looks less like a clear road looks more like a junk drawer mired in mess. That's what cancer side effects, brain fog, neuropathy, autoimmune, GI, and vision issues, has looked like for me - roads that are still not cleared. But doubt also shows up not… Continue reading Finding Clarity in Uncertainty: Take the Next Small Step
There was something big that appeared in my life back in 2018 that I wonder how many other people have experienced or have inherently known all along - joy can exist beside pain. That was the year I lost my mother and met my husband. I was in my own year of magical thinking. Profound… Continue reading The Coexistence of Joy and Pain
From childhood, when I began to have agency, I was strident about the wrongs I saw in life, from the small things to the big things. Hypocrisy and deliberate wrongdoing grated me to my bones. And I saw it everywhere. Over time I got used to seeing people succeeding who cheated or people who hurt… Continue reading Life Isn’t Fair – But It’s Still Worth Living
Since we have lived in our little house, we have been making updates as problems have arisen. I bought this house in 2018 and within weeks had a furnace that didn't work when the first cold snap appeared. Thankfully that was just a repair. Since then we've had to replace the hot water heater, repair… Continue reading Home Security Upgrades in Our 1914 Bungalow
There’s a moment, usually sometime between the end of the day and the beginning of the evening, when everything finally goes quiet. Not the kind of quiet you get from shutting a door or turning off a TV — the deeper kind, the one that shows up when your mind stops sprinting and your heart… Continue reading Finding Peace in Everyday Moments
Daily writing promptWhat’s a song lyric that has stuck with you forever?View all responses Today's earworm is... 'Cause you had a bad day, you're taking one down, you sing a sad song just to turn it around. You say you don't know, you tell me, don't lie. You work at a smile, and you go… Continue reading So You Had a Bad Day
A written word is the choicest of relics. It is the work of art nearest to life. And not only to be read but actually carved out of breath itself. The symbol of an ancient man's thought becomes a modern man's speech. -Henry David Thoreau I stumbled on this quote in a Thoreau documentary. Insightful… Continue reading Writer’s Inspiration
Recognizing When It's Time to Step Back and Rediscover Balance On the heels of a busy holiday season, I transition into my busiest season at work - Q1. From November through April the rhythm of daily life beats relentlessly on and demands seem ceaseless. With my new normal, living with the side effects of cancer… Continue reading Unplugging and Recharging: Finding Solace in Simplicity
Exploring the Queen City's Evolution in Innovation, Sports, Music, and Cuisine ...a love letter to the city that raised me My hometown, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, long the subject of good-natured ribbing for its supposed 20-year lag behind national trends, has in recent years become a city in the midst of a spirited renaissance. For as… Continue reading Cincinnati: Culturally Behind or Blossoming at the Forefront
The winter solstice is here, December 21, 2025. It's what I like to call the long winter's night. The nadir of the natural world. I once read, to paraphrase, that it's the ending, the death, of the cycle of life. Celebrating solstices is among the oldest traditions and rituals known to humans, along with storytelling… Continue reading Embracing the Winter Solstice: A Time for Reflection
What is the world trying to tell me? Robert Frost is popping into my scroll today. Maybe the algorithm is saying, hey you, yeah you, you are not going to ignore feelings. And I'm just - I can't. But that f&*(er is being persistent, and he is all about deep diving into the ethos of… Continue reading What Are the Algorithims Trying to Tell Me?
We've all had those moments - sometimes fleeting, other times painfully persistent - when someone's words or actions make us doubt our own value. It can come from a seemingly innocuous comment, a comparison to someone else, or an outright criticism. Suddenly, it leaves you questioning if you measure up, if you're worthy, if you… Continue reading When Others Make You Feel Not Good Enough
November marks Gratitude Month, a time for reflection and appreciation in the cozy atmosphere of autumn. Emphasizing gratitude's significance, the writer shares personal goals like keeping a gratitude journal, expressing thanks, and fostering community gratitude. They suggest various practices to deepen gratitude, encouraging a culture of kindness and connection.
How Big Brothers and Sisters Shape Who We Become I was having a conversation with my younger sister Angie last week about something my oldest brother said off-handed to me a few years ago - that we did not grow up together. It seemed important to him that my husband understood this. It is a… Continue reading Older Siblings: The Unsung Role Models in Our Lives
Hello, everyone... I'm 156 years old and I have been listening to post punk / alternative for 87 years, and this song, this song that found me via Mobland, has saved my life. This band is pure, raw talent. Please enjoy it along with this newest post. https://youtu.be/P5iNkBw9K74?si=P9IyPagR0CR36dbF Down the Rabbit Hole Today I need… Continue reading The Double-Edged Sword of Nostalgia
I've been in nesting mode. I get this way every year as Indian summer ebbs into fall. My thoughts meander. Maybe my real happy ending is falling in love with the simplest parts of life - savoring that first sip of morning decaf, losing myself in the stillness of an October sunrise, or smelling freshly… Continue reading The Magic of Ordinary Days
A sage of silliness once proclaimed some wise advice not for fools. Here's some advice from wise women past and present (me), courtesy distilled and curated: Ringing someone's phone off the hook? If they don't answer by the third jingle, they're probably busy saving the world - or taking a really long nap. Stop calling.… Continue reading Ethical Life Hacks: Wise Advice for Better Relationships and Etiquette
Author Note: I originally wrote this poem in 2004 for a significant person that was in my life when I was in my early twenties. That relationship fundamentally impacted my life across the spectrum in profound ways. I learned of his passing last year as I was dealing with the beginning of my illness before… Continue reading Reflective Moments: A Poem of Profound Redemption and Friendship
Hello friends... Wow, what a year I have had. This past year my milestone age didn't really sink in with all of what that means. I've had a singularity of focus - battling breast cancer. On this last day of this year, I'm feeling like time is catching up with me. Usually when I hit… Continue reading Milestone Reflection: Battling Breast Cancer and Setting Goals for the Future
Here I go again, comparing my life to someone else’s life. How easy it is to get lost in self-flagellation when comparing one’s life with the curated lives we see on social media. How easy it is to get lost in examining what we feel are our failures in those moments, in comparison to someone… Continue reading Curated Lives vs. Authenticity: Rediscovering Happiness in My Unique Story
Our Humble Road 